Ingredients:
Chocolate Cake:
1 bar (1.5 ounces) Godiva Dark Chocolate, finely chopped (or other fine quality dark chocolate)
1/3 cup brewed strong coffee
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
Espresso Anglaise Sauce:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup brewed espresso, cold
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Hazelnut Ganache:
3/4 cup hazelnuts (about 3 ounces), toasted
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, finely chopped (or other fine quality dark chocolate)
Milk Chocolate Mousse:
7 tablespoons whole milk
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Milk Chocolate, finely chopped (or other fine quality milk chocolate)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Assembly:
Cocoa powder for dusting
Chocolate shavings (optional)
Instructions:
To Make the Chocolate Cake:
Preheat to 350°F (180°C). Spray 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray paper.
Place chocolate and coffee in medium, heatproof bowl set over pan of hot (not simmering) water. Heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk in egg and yolk until blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
Beat butter and sugar in mixing bowl for 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy, using medium speed of electric mixer. Beat in vanilla and chocolate mixture, using low speed. Scrape bowl, increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add half of dry ingredients, sour cream and then remaining dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. Turn batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 18 minutes or until center springs back when pressed lightly with fingertips.
Cool cake in pan on wire rack.
To Make the Espresso Anglaise Sauce:
Place half-and-half, sugar and vanilla bean seeds and pod into medium, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to gentle boil.
Meanwhile, place cornstarch in large heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in espresso until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks. Whisk about 2 cups of hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Return this mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, for 1 to 3 minutes or until custard thickens slightly. It is done when you can run finger down back of custard-coated spoon and path remains in custard for several seconds. Do not let custard come to boil.
Remove pan from heat and immediately strain hot custard through fine-meshed sieve into medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over larger bowl containing ice water and stir custard for 5 to 10 minutes or until cooled. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
To Make the Hazelnut Ganache:
1. Place toasted hazelnuts in plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.
2. Combine cream, butter and sugar in small saucepan and bring to gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and add chopped chocolate, swirling pan to cover chocolate with hot cream. Let stand for 3 minutes to melt chocolate. Gently whisk chocolate mixture until blended. Mix in crushed hazelnuts. Cool slightly before assembling.
To Make the Milk Chocolate Mousse:
Place milk, sugar, butter and vanilla extract in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to gentle boil. Remove pan from heat and add chopped chocolate, swirling pan to cover chocolate with hot milk. Let stand for 3 minutes to melt chocolate. Gently whisk chocolate mixture until blended. Let stand at room temperature until cool.
Place heavy cream in medium chilled bowl. Whip cream until soft peaks form, using hand-held mixer set at medium speed. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
To Assemble Dessert:
1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using 3-inch ring mold as cutter, cut out eight chocolate cake rounds. Place ring molds on lined baking sheet and insert cake round in each mold. Pour about 2 heaping tablespoons hazelnut ganache over each cake round. Chill until ganache is set.
2. Fill each mold with about 1/4 cup milk chocolate mousse. (Mousse will not completely fill the mold.) Smooth top of mousse with bottom of small spoon. Chill until set at least 2 hours.
3. Have ready eight individual dessert plates. Remove desserts from refrigerator. Dust tops of mousse with cocoa powder. Using propane torch or hair dryer, heat sides of molds and remove. Carefully transfer each cake to center of dessert plate. Drizzle espresso anglaise sauce around cake and sprinkle with chocolate shavings if desired.
Makes 8 individual servings.
Chocolate Cake:
1 bar (1.5 ounces) Godiva Dark Chocolate, finely chopped (or other fine quality dark chocolate)
1/3 cup brewed strong coffee
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
Espresso Anglaise Sauce:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup brewed espresso, cold
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Hazelnut Ganache:
3/4 cup hazelnuts (about 3 ounces), toasted
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, finely chopped (or other fine quality dark chocolate)
Milk Chocolate Mousse:
7 tablespoons whole milk
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Milk Chocolate, finely chopped (or other fine quality milk chocolate)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Assembly:
Cocoa powder for dusting
Chocolate shavings (optional)
Instructions:
To Make the Chocolate Cake:
Preheat to 350°F (180°C). Spray 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray paper.
Place chocolate and coffee in medium, heatproof bowl set over pan of hot (not simmering) water. Heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk in egg and yolk until blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
Beat butter and sugar in mixing bowl for 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy, using medium speed of electric mixer. Beat in vanilla and chocolate mixture, using low speed. Scrape bowl, increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add half of dry ingredients, sour cream and then remaining dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. Turn batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 18 minutes or until center springs back when pressed lightly with fingertips.
Cool cake in pan on wire rack.
To Make the Espresso Anglaise Sauce:
Place half-and-half, sugar and vanilla bean seeds and pod into medium, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to gentle boil.
Meanwhile, place cornstarch in large heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in espresso until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks. Whisk about 2 cups of hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Return this mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, for 1 to 3 minutes or until custard thickens slightly. It is done when you can run finger down back of custard-coated spoon and path remains in custard for several seconds. Do not let custard come to boil.
Remove pan from heat and immediately strain hot custard through fine-meshed sieve into medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over larger bowl containing ice water and stir custard for 5 to 10 minutes or until cooled. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
To Make the Hazelnut Ganache:
1. Place toasted hazelnuts in plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.
2. Combine cream, butter and sugar in small saucepan and bring to gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and add chopped chocolate, swirling pan to cover chocolate with hot cream. Let stand for 3 minutes to melt chocolate. Gently whisk chocolate mixture until blended. Mix in crushed hazelnuts. Cool slightly before assembling.
To Make the Milk Chocolate Mousse:
Place milk, sugar, butter and vanilla extract in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to gentle boil. Remove pan from heat and add chopped chocolate, swirling pan to cover chocolate with hot milk. Let stand for 3 minutes to melt chocolate. Gently whisk chocolate mixture until blended. Let stand at room temperature until cool.
Place heavy cream in medium chilled bowl. Whip cream until soft peaks form, using hand-held mixer set at medium speed. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
To Assemble Dessert:
1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using 3-inch ring mold as cutter, cut out eight chocolate cake rounds. Place ring molds on lined baking sheet and insert cake round in each mold. Pour about 2 heaping tablespoons hazelnut ganache over each cake round. Chill until ganache is set.
2. Fill each mold with about 1/4 cup milk chocolate mousse. (Mousse will not completely fill the mold.) Smooth top of mousse with bottom of small spoon. Chill until set at least 2 hours.
3. Have ready eight individual dessert plates. Remove desserts from refrigerator. Dust tops of mousse with cocoa powder. Using propane torch or hair dryer, heat sides of molds and remove. Carefully transfer each cake to center of dessert plate. Drizzle espresso anglaise sauce around cake and sprinkle with chocolate shavings if desired.
Makes 8 individual servings.
© 2009 D.B Woodall. All rights reserved
